ABYSSINIAN CONFLICT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 280, 29 November 1935, Page 7

ABYSSINIAN CONFLICT

ATTITUDE OF POPE WARFARE DENOUNCED I i BISHOP LISTON’S MESSAGE [Per Prew Association. 1 AUCKLAND, Nov. 28. i The attitude of the Pqpe toward j Italy’s war on Ethiopia was explained ■ by Bishop Liston, who has returned to Auckland affer an official, visit to Rome. * ”To judge by the appeals made to the Pope by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders in England and by the prominence given to his statements in the press of France, England and America, the whole world is deeply interested in his attitude,” he said. ”The Pope has again and again spoken and asked for peace with all the authority of his high office. He has invoked not only peace but also justice, emphasising that the Christian ideal is peave in justice. Long before Geneva spoke and the clash of arms came did he sy eak. He has issued warnings to Europe, denounced war, and picture-i its evils, with its sorrows and tears for mankind. He has proclaimed that a war of conquest is unjustifiable even for a nation that feels the need of expansion and that arbitration and not war is the proper means of settling disputes.” The bishop said it was worth noting that this denunciation of a war of conquest, published officially in the Vatican City daily paper, was not allowed to he published in any single paper of Italy under strict Government control, but it would be said that the Pope should go further and proclaim war as unjust. “Let me point out that he has not been invited to act as judge in this dispute by Italy, Ethiopia, or any other member of the League of Nations. He is not a member of the League. Indeed, by secret Pact of London in .1915 he was expressly excluded from any future share in matters of settlement between nations, but,” said Bishop Liston, ”it will still be contended that the Pope has a duty as head of the Catholic Church to proclaim moral law, to brand guilty, and maybe, to excommunicate Musso’/ni. I answer that he is following everwise the ways of Christ b?mself. He proclaimed moral law of justice but did not call a**soldier out of the ranks or urge his Jewish fellow countrymen to take up arms against the Roman invaders and conquerors of their country.” Even though the Pope believed Italy I to be wrong and to be now engaged in an immoral and unjust war, there were two sound reasons why he should refrain from saying so. Firstly, such a denunciation would at once place the Italian Catholics in a most awkward position. They no doubt honestly, as well as fervently, believed they were '■ engaged in a just quarrel and their I conscience would he gravely disturbed ' if. their spiritual leader told theni ! otherwise. Secondly, there would be a • retaliation for certainty and conflict and violence in Italy. The Pope had no arms but others had and the cause of good order, peace and religion in the •countrv would suffer grievously. “Pope Pius is a man of outstanding courage, but at present his supreme purpose* is to bring peace to a world night unto chaos and weary almost unto death of strife,” the bishop said. | He found the Pope, the Cardinal, and the officials were possessed of an ample knowledge of the Dominion and enthusiastic in their praise of the good feeling existing here and of the respect and freedom accorded to the religion and its works. The Pope was now 78 years of age, was well, vigorous and alert and wished his blessing Tn go out, to the citizens, Catho’/- and nogiUatholic, of the Dominion. PESSIMISM IN ITALY WAR AND SANCTIONS. Received Nov. 28, 11.10 p.m. PARIS, Nov. 27. ’rhe A***|'sinian and sanctions situations are not being contemplated with equanimity in Italy. The News Agency received from Rome hints of outbreaks and serious disorders. Le Temps’ Rome | correspondent notes the popular rest-j llessness and pessimism, leading, to the ‘ [ query whether it would not be better' I simultaneously to terminate the application of sanctions and the AbysIsinian operations in order to open discussion in a clearer atmosphere. ITALIAN TROOPS WITHDRAWAL FROM MAKALE. Received Nov. 28, 10.52 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 27. Addis Ababa is jubilant in consequence of the report that the Italians are withdrawing from Makale, but this :is an optimistic Abyssinian interpreta|tion of Italian movements designed to : ■straighten the line. Rome not only j denies the evacuation but minimises, ( the extent of Ras Dentas’ successes in j the southern section. j ABYSSINIAN SUCCESSES WILL BE FOLLOWED LP HAWARIAT CONFIDENT Received Nov. 28, 11.35 p.m. LONIDON, Nov. 27. : The Emperor, Hail Selassie, had a lengthy conference with the High Command at Addis Ababa, and determined Ito follow up the successes on both ! fronts. General Tekla Hawariat participated in the conference and subsequently stated that the Italians were now discovering that the Abyssinians were expert in the encircling method of attack, in which they had been trained for centuries. He expressed the certainty of holding off the Italians, who are already suffering malaria, until the June rains, when the invaders must relinquish all they hold. The Italian Somalis, some of whom are reported to be mutinous, have been diverted against the main body of Ras Destas’ troops in the neighbourhood’of Webbehebeli. Ras Desta’s rearguard is pushing north near the Ganalic

Doria River and claim to have ambushed 700 Italians. They launched a flank attack on them and bisected the column, driving part towards Dolo rnd dispersing the remainder with severe loss, but as against this the Italians claim that their bombing ’planes and native troops scattered one of Ras Destas’ detachments near Dolo, killing 100 and losing four killed and five wounded.